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EDWARD S. WRIGHT OF NEW YORK,

Nirn'n STATES PATENT rrrcn.

N. Y., AND EDWIN ALLEN, OF NEW- ARK, N. J., ASSIGNORS TO EDWARD S. WRIGHT AND L. M. HILLS.

GUN-STOCK MACHINE.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 40.666, dated November 17, 1863.

To all whom it may concern,.-

Be it known that we, EDWARD S. WRIGHT, of the city, county, and State of New York, and EDWIN ALLEN, of Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented new and useful Improvements in Gunstock Machines and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the same, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings and the letters of reference marked thereon, and which said drawings constitute part of this specification, and represent, in-

Figure l, a side view; Fig. 2, a front view; Fig. 3, a plan or top view; Figs. 4, 5, 6, detached parts enlarged.

Similar letters and characters indicate like parts.

In the manufacture of gun-stocks the stock is formed in a machine, known as the Blanchard lath e.77 This leaves the stock of the proper f `)rm,but very rough. Machines havebeen used for dressing the upper part for the bands, but from the back down the stock has heretofore been dressed by hand. and this operation has been the chief item of expense in their manufacture.

The object of our invention is to produce a machine for dressing or finishing those parts heretofore wrought by hand; and the invention which we herein describe relates particularly to dressing the lower part or breech of the stock, and which we style a breechdresser. In a properly formed stock lines drawn from the edge of the butt-plate along the surface of the breech concentrate at a point near the intersection of the barrel and stock.

Our invention consistsin xingthe stock to be dressed in a socket or universal joint, the center of motion of which is that point toward which lines drawn as aforesaid concentrate, and the said-socket. combined with cams, so that when the stock is rotated by the said socket it will be presented to cutters in a manner to smoothly dress and properly form the breech of the stock.

To enable others skilled to make and use our invention, we will proceed to describe its construction and operation.

A is the frame or bed, resting on and supported by legs B.

C is a cutter-head, iilled with knives .or cutters of the most approved form and style, set so as to dress perfectly straight. The said cutter-head is supported in proper bearings in a frame, D, and driven by a pulley, E. The said frame D is hung in bearings a, so as to swing forward and back, and is pressed forward by means of a treadle, F, and lever G,

and drawn back by means of a spring. The

bearings a, which support the cutter-head frame, are centrally hung upon a pivot, d, to admit of a lateral movement being given to the cutter-head. Upon the frame A we fix a ball-and-socket or universal joint, h, shown enlarged iu Fig. 4.. The center of this socket must be at or near the intersection of the barrel and stock, or where lines drawn as aforesaid concentrate. This joint must turn freely in all directions.

I is a cam fixed to the ball, a diagram of which is shown in Fig. 6. Upon the opposite side of the frame is placed a center or guide pm, c.

To operato our machine and dress the breech we first fix to the butt of a turned stock, W, a cam, L, a diagram of which is shown in Fig. 5. In this cam is made a slot, M, which lits upon the guide-pin c. We next insert the stock through the ball, as shown in-Fig. 4, place the cam L upon the guide-pin, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, and then clamp the stock firmly by any known means into the ball. Now lower the butt of the stock, so that the upper end of the slot inthe cam L will rest upon the guide-pin c, (see Fig. 2,) apply power to the cutters, press with the foot upon the treadle F to bring the cutter forward until the guides .n o upon the frame bear against the cams I and L. These hold the cutters at a proper distance. Now raise the butt, as denoted in red, Fig. 2, by pressing down upon the end of the stock, which projects through the ball, until the other end of the slot in cam L rests against the pin c. This will dress one side ofthe stock.

Then turn the ball-joint by means of the handwheel P, fixed thereto half round, (suitable steps must be placed as guides in turning.) The cams I and L will guide the cutter to dress the lower edge to the required form. Then lower the stock to the first position. This versati joint, or its equinztlent, whereby movedresses the other side. Again turn the ball half ments may be given to the stock While bein g round as before, and the upper edge is dressed dressed, from the center of motion of the said and the breech of the stock finished perfect joint, in the manner and for the purpose suband smooth, in very much less time than would stantially as herein set forth.

have sufced to finish the breech by hand. EDWARD S. WRIGHT.

Having thus fully described our invention, EDWIN ALLEN.

what we claim therein as new and useful, and Witnesses:

desire to secure by Letters Patent, is JOHN E. EARLE,

Holding gun-stocks to be dressed in a nn- L. M. HILLS. 

